A HOPE
by Sailor Silver Ladybug
Summary: Sequel to A WISH. In the aftermath of the Wish Usagi made to restore the Shitennou, everything seems calm on the surface, but she and the others all sense something coming. There is a new threat on the horizon and the team will have to learn to work together to figure out what is happening, and why. When a surprise visitor appears their lives will be changed forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. I do have my own original characters that are mine to use as well as changes to canon characters and to the plot. I will not receive any monetary compensation for this piece.

**Author's Note:** This one has been a long time coming. If you haven't read A WISH, please go do so now before starting this story. You really do need to know what happened there to get what is happening here.

* * *

**A HOPE**  
**A WISH: Book Two**  
**Chapter One**  
**Memories**

* * *

It had been nine long months since Usagi had met Luna. Nine months of fighting and terror, or lying to friends and family, of meeting new friends and then watching as they suffered the loss of their soulmates. And then Usagi had brought them back to life thanks to a simple Wish. An unselfish Wish that the Silver Crystal had granted. Things, unfortunately, had gotten a little crazy in the wake of that Wish. The Silver Crystal had drawn her into a portal, encased her in a cocoon-like structure while she slept, and for three days she had been pregnant with the Shitennou, only reappearing at Mamoru's feet when she was in labor.

After the four babies had been reborn Usagi's health had taken a turn for the worse and several family members and friends had learned who she was as a result. Now, three weeks after Usagi and Mamoru had been married, with the Shitennou fully grown once more and the threat of some new danger still on the horizon, Usagi and Mamoru were out on their nightly patrol.

It had been exactly three weeks and one day since they had taken their vows in front of their family and friends. Three weeks of the most joy Usagi had ever felt. They hadn't gone on a honeymoon, as the school year had resumed after August vacation. Now, a month into the final half of the year, with Mamoru and Motoki both at the public school so Mamoru could be protected by his men, she felt whole and happy and so much better than she ever had before. The Wishes that had healed her in the hospital had strengthened her physically. She no longer had to worry about not gaining enough weight.

She would still probably need to eat more than most however, which in her own mind was a good thing, because she knew with certainty that she could never give up chocolate. Stifling a giggle, Usagi took a look around her, wanting to be sure they were still unobserved. They'd crept out the back entrance to the large building they shared with her parents, Doctor Mizuno, and their friends. It was very important that no one associated Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen with that address.

It was very early in the morning, already around three. She and Mamoru were on a normal patrol. There had been fewer and fewer Youma escaping from the remnants of the Dark Kingdom. Ami had suggested they make a trip to D-Point and check it out for themselves so they could be sure there was nothing left to harm anyone. Usagi agreed, though she wasn't looking forward to going back. The place had caused her so much pain. Still, they'd all put it off for one reason or another.

"What do you think?" Mamoru asked. They were standing in the shadows of the alley beside the Crown Game Center. It was as good a place to henshin as any. But they had to make sure no Youma saw them. There was still also the newest worry. Nephrite had dreamed about other Dark Generals and they didn't know if they were still alive out there in the world or not. Not to mention Luna was insistent that they couldn't let their guard down because she sensed a new threat.

"I don't sense any Youma," Usagi said finally. "Although I seem to sense them better when I'm transformed."

"Hai," Mamoru murmured. "Maybe we could cut through this alley and get to the park. We can transform and go to the rooftops and do a broad sweep before we get back."

"Makes sense," Usagi shrugged. She felt his hand wrap around her own and smiled. He was still more overprotective than he had been before the return of the Shitennou. Their experiences had changed all of them, but him most of all, she thought, though no one else noticed.

They made good time walking to the park. Neither spoke. They didn't have to. Even if she couldn't feel his emotions or speak to him telepathically, Usagi would know just what he was thinking and feeling because she had learned to watch him so long ago. She knew he would quirk his eyebrow at her when he was amused, or that he would clench his fists behind his back when he was truly angry. She knew he would smile politely even when he wanted to run screaming from social interaction and that he was a secret chocoholic, just like she was. All in all, there wasn't much about Mamoru she didn't know.

After transforming in the park, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen jumped to a rooftop and they raced together over the city. "Any idea what it is Luna is worried about?" Sailor Moon asked when they were perched at the top of the Tokyo Skytree several minutes later.

"I don't know," Tuxedo Kamen murmured, wrapping one arm around her waist as he stood behind her looking out over the lights of Tokyo. "Whatever it is though, I've begun to sense something too. I feel like I'm just waiting."

"Hai," Sailor Moon agreed. "I keep thinking I'm going to blink and something will suddenly appear that we'll have to fight."

"Exactly."

Sailor Moon scanned the city, using the built in sensors in her hair to listen for any trouble. Reaching into her subspace pocket, she pulled out the mask she rarely used and held it in front of her eyes. Nothing appeared in the lenses. Which meant, at the moment, there was peace.

"Come on," Tuxedo Kamen said, "we need to get home. Tomorrow is Monday and we really could use a couple more hours of sleep."

She followed him down the side of the tower, leaping several feet at a time. It was easy now. So much easier than she would have believed when Luna found her just over nine months before. She hadn't come up with the idea of running over the rooftops until she'd seen her masked protector doing it. Then she'd come up with the idea of trying it herself with surprisingly good results. Soon they were hidden in an alley and they had both released their transformations.

They walked hand in hand, the closeness between them obvious as they made their way back home. "What I don't get," Usagi said, resuming their conversation, "is why Rei hasn't seen anything in the Great Fire. I can tell she is getting frustrated."

"So is Jed," Mamoru told her. "And Nephrite has told me twice that he sees nothing in the stars. I don't understand it. I can feel that some great challenge is about to change everything. The odd thing," he added, frowning down at her, "is that I don't sense real evil. Just..."

"Pain," Usagi said. "That's what I've been sensing too. And Naru said something the other night about hearing crying in her sleep."

"It doesn't make much sense," Mamoru said.

They snuck back through the back entrance. Usagi smiled when she saw her father standing at the back door, a cup of coffee in his hands. That meant it was after four already. Chances were they wouldn't be getting any more sleep. It wasn't fun when they got the third watch of the night. There wasn't enough time to go back to bed. Second watch wasn't much better as there was no point in laying down for an hour or two only to get back up, but you could always go to bed early.

Kenji opened the door. "Any problems?" he asked.

"Not a one," Mamoru said, grinning. "You would probably know faster than we did," he added. "It's amazing how much having a newspaper editor has come in handy." Mamoru wasn't exaggerating. Several times people had called into the paper to report strange noises. The Senshi and Shitennou had investigated. They'd found a Youma in a sewer, another hiding in one of the smaller parks, and still another trapped in an elevator shaft. Most weren't that bright. Cornered they were still dangerous however.

"Artemis said something about a meeting after school," Kenji informed them, handing each a travel mug. "You forgot these," he added.

Usagi took a sip of her mixture. She loved hot chocolate, but not so much having to drink coffee. So she mixed them together, going heavier on the hot chocolate. The drink was still warm, so she took a long sip of it after thanking her father.

"Is mom up?" she asked.

"Not yet. She and Minako were having a talk until late."

"Is everything alright?" Mamoru asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"I think so. She had a nightmare the other night and Kunzite apparently had the very same nightmare. According to Rei it happened once to her and Jadeite too. I think it's just their memories. You two have the advantage. I had no idea the Soul-Bond would restore all your memories the way it did."

"Not all of them," Mamoru reminded him.

Usagi frowned. She'd restored Mamoru's childhood memories shortly after they'd been married. They'd both expected them to return when the Silver Crystal was found, and then again after the Soul Bond was formed. Instead, she'd had to use the Silver Crystal to pull them out of him. And that was strange, because as far as she knew the only thing that could lock away memories that way _was_ the Silver Crystal. And she wouldn't have done that to him.

"Get something to eat," her father suggested, kissing the top of her head affectionately. "Tonight you have first watch."

"Awesome," Usagi breathed. She liked first watch the best. Mamoru steered her towards a chair in the large dining area and pressed her down, then went into the kitchen.

Kenji sat down at his spot and leaned back in his chair. "I don't want to go to work today," he muttered.

"Why not?" Usagi was curious. Her father loved his job. He always had. Why would he suddenly not want to go to work?

"I don't know. Just a feeling that I have." He frowned down at the table. "Do you know that when your aunt died I had the same feeling? I was set on staying home but the reporter who was supposed to interview the Emperor was in an accident, so I went. That same accident killed your aunt."

"Mom knew something was wrong," Usagi said, thinking back to that day. "She got so quiet and pale and just went and stood by the phone. She was staring at us kids trying not to cry and just reached out and picked it up when it rang. She knew."

"Do you remember what else happened that day?" her father asked.

"Hai. It was the day I had the dream about the green-haired girl. I wouldn't let Haruki leave."

"That dream saved his life. Rei told me that some of the Youma could affect dreams, so I've been careful since then, but I was thinking about how antsy all of us have been feeling. We know something is coming, just not what."

"I have a feeling it's nothing any of us would expect," Mamoru said, coming into the room with two bowls of cereal. He placed one in front of Usagi, then sat next to her and stared into his own for a minute. "I never told you about my imaginary friend," he added. "Fiore." Mamoru shook his head. "I met him right after my parents died. I was in the hospital when I saw him. He was laying in the street, passed out in the rain. No one seemed to notice him, or care that he was hurt. So I snuck out and brought him back inside."

Usagi was fascinated by the story and held her breath as he continued. "The earth was making him sick. I don't know how exactly, but he said he felt too heavy. So he had to leave. I cried buckets," he added. "If it wasn't for a sweet little girl giving me a rose I think I would have given up completely. I mean my parents had just died and my first friend ever had to leave the planet." He shook his head. "Of course the doctor thought I was imagining him. I eventually started to believe him. But, I don't know, this feeling I've had lately reminds me of him. It's so familiar."

"Wow. That must have been so hard," Usagi murmured. "I would have been scared."

"A girl gave you a rose?" Kenji asked, a strange note to his voice. Usagi looked over at him and saw he had on a blank look, which meant he was thinking something important and didn't want her to know what it was. That only made her more curious.

"Hai," Mamoru said, laughing now. "She came right into my room and hugged me. It startled me. Then she gave me a rose and told me everything would be okay."

"Where did she get the rose?" Kenji asked.

Mamoru shrugged. "I don't know where she got the roses. But she was bringing them to her mother, who had just had a baby."

Noting that her father had a huge smile, Usagi kept quiet, wondering what he was thinking. She listened as he asked Mamoru another question. "What did she look like?"

"She was small. Probably three or four. Blonde hair and blue eyes. She had her hair up in these little buns with..." Mamoru's voice trailed off and he gulped audibly before turning to look at Usagi. "...long streamers. Though they were much shorter then."

"Nani?" Usagi asked, curious as to why he was staring at her.

"Usagi," her father said softly. "Tell me about the day Shingo was born."

Finally understanding, Usagi squeaked and stared at Mamoru. "You mean he's my boy?" she asked. "My lonely boy who I couldn't find anymore?"

"Tell him," Kenji ordered.

"We were at the hospital. It was just me and Haruki in the gift shop. Well, we sort of got lost going back to my mother's room and he stopped to ask a nurse for directions. But I heard crying. I saw a boy who looked sad and lonely. I wanted to be his friend, so I gave him a flower."

Mamoru stared at her for a long moment before reaching out and plucking her out of her chair and into his lap. He buried his face in her neck and Usagi could feel him shaking. "My Usako," he whispered.

* * *

Minako bolted upright in her bed, panting heavily and stared at her bedroom door. She could almost feel Kunzite's panic. Not sure how she knew he needed her, she tore out of her bed and then out of her room. Reaching him was as easy as going one door down the hallway and opening it. He was thrashing in his bed, his silver-blonde hair half covering his face as he cried out her name in what sounded like terror.

"I'm here Kunzite," she whispered, climbing on his bed and leaning over him.

She put a hand to his cheek and watched his silver eyes open. All of the guys had been plagued with nightmares since their third day of life, so she should have known he would react instantly. Without being fully awake, Kunzite grabbed her and then rolled, shielding her body with his own as though there were an enemy in the room.

"Kunzite," she said, slightly louder. She reached up and grabbed him by both shoulders. "Kunzite, wake up!"

Silver eyes closed, then opened again. It took a long moment for him to suck in a deep breath and then he simply stared at her for a long moment before ducking his head and burying his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry," he whimpered, sounding very much like he had when he was small and feeling guilty over Usagi.

"It's alright Kun," Minako murmured, rubbing his back. "Why don't you tell me what you were dreaming about?"

Kunzite's dreams were often disjointed memories of their past life, his life in Tokyo before the Dark Kingdom, and his time as a Dark General. Sometimes it helped him if he could talk them out with her. Other times he refused to speak and just clung to her. After a moment, Minako realized this was going to be one of those mornings. It was hard when he wouldn't talk to her, but she understood some things were just too painful to talk about.

"Everything is okay," she murmured, her fingers playing with his hair. "You're safe, here in Tokyo. Usagi and Mamoru are safe. I think they just got back from patrol a little while ago, since I think the sun is coming up. Your brothers are all here and okay. The girls are fine. Shingo and Haruki are both okay. Ikuko and Kenji are alright. Everything is okay."

It took several long minutes of her reassuring him before he moved, rolling off her and onto his back. He sighed and covered his face with both hands for a moment before dropping them and turning his head to look at her. "I'm sorry," he said again, much more calm than he had been.

"It's okay," Minako told him. "I'm just glad I could be here for you. And I'm glad you're there for me too," she added, hoping he understood this wasn't a one-way thing. She needed him just as much as he needed her. She stretched, groaning slightly. "I don't want to go to school," she whined.

Kunzite's chuckle did more to tell her he was alright than any words. He sat up and grabbed her, pulling her into his own arms for a moment before setting her on her feet. "I don't either, but I also don't want mom coming in here with a big bucket of ice water again." He shuddered dramatically.

Minako giggled. "It was only a cup," she argued. It had been rather hilarious. His third day of school Kunzite had decided he wasn't getting out of bed. Usagi had listened calmly when Minako told her what was going on. Then she'd turned to her mother and smiled before grabbing a very large cup, filling it with ice and water, and had promptly marched up the stairs. Shouts had echoed through the house a moment later. Kunzite had never argued about getting up since.

"Still," he muttered.

Minako crossed the room to the door. "I'm going to get dressed and take my shower. Don't let Jadeite into the bathroom until I've had my turn," she added. Jadeite was the worse bathroom hog she had ever seen, and she'd been a model, so that was saying something.

Kunzite laughed and waved his hand at her. "I won't" he promised.

* * *

Mizuno Saeko was just getting out of work as the others were getting up for the day. It was still mostly dark, though she could see a change in the light, indicating the sun would soon rise. It had been a long night and she was tired. It would be good to get home and climb into bed.

She still couldn't believe how much her life had changed since just over a month before when her daughter and the two cats had appeared in the apartment she shared with Ami. She'd thought her daughter was gone with the others. Ami had admitted to lying about where she'd been and then informed her rather shocked mother that she was Sailor Mercury and that Usagi, who was Sailor Moon, was in trouble.

Ever since that moment her world had expanded. She and Ikuko, Usagi's mother, had become very close. She was even rather close to Kenji, who had taken sort of a brotherly stance around her. He was the overprotective sort, not that she minded. Between the couple and Grandfather Hino she didn't feel quite so lonely anymore. She had other adults to talk to. Plus she had all the kids to dote over.

But as she was walking to her car, Saeko looked up and gasped in surprise at the person standing next to it. Shocked, and very angry, she stopped where she stood and glared at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to stop her voice from trembling with heartache and fear. She hadn't seen him in so long and he had hurt her so deeply.

"You don't live in the same place," he said, his voice soft. "When I couldn't find you, I panicked."

"Why were you looking for me," Saeko asked, determined not to get her hopes up.

The silence stretched out into what felt like an eternity. She stared at her husband and he stared back. He didn't look much different. His long hair was mussed, as though he had been running his fingers through it. His long overcoat was unbuttoned and she could see his white dress shirt and tan slacks underneath. Taking a deep breath, Saeko took a step closer to him, and then another. His eyes were filled with so much emotion.

Heart breaking, just a little, she wondered for the thousandth time why he had left her and Ami and disappeared. What could have been more important than his family? Where had he been all this time? And why was he back now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** This chapter's for you Astraearose-silvermoon, because you asked!

* * *

**A HOPE**  
**A WISH: Book Two**  
**Chapter Two**  
**Heartbreak**

* * *

Ami and Zoicite were walking hand in hand. Ever since he'd been born Zo had been a bit more emotionally reliant on her, Usagi and Mamoru than the other boys had been. He was an easy baby, a kind child, and now a good man. Still, it was hard to get past everything that had happened in two lifetimes. Ami's memories were still slightly fragmented, but she could remember her death in the Silver Millennium, and his in the final battle with Metalia and Beryl. Was there ever a way to move past something like that? The others seemed to be doing well with that, but Ami wasn't.

Zoicite and Jadeite had been placed in eleventh grade. Zo had been born a few minutes after Jadeite, even though in the lifetime before they were taken by the Negaverse, Jadeite was actually ten months younger. They had been brothers then too, though the others hadn't been. It had taken a while, but Ami had been able to discover their original identities during their rapid development. The name Chiba was important to all of them however, so they didn't go back to their original last names.

"I really don't want to go to class today," Zoicite said, his voice low.

"Why not?" Ami was confused. It had seemed as though he loved school.

Zoicite blushed. He looked at her, then away and blushed some more. Curious, Ami stopped him and made him turn to look at her. It wasn't easy to forget that less than a month before he had been a tiny child and she had been forced to discipline him on more than one occasion. He hadn't really shown he was ready to let go of that guidance yet, which slightly worried Ami because she remembered him having definite alpha tendencies.

"Zo? What's wrong? Is someone messing with you at school?"

"No," he muttered, still not looking at her.

"Then what is it?" she asked, more worried now.

"Idon'twanttoleaveyou," he rushed.

"You don't want to leave me?" Ami asked, feeling a blush heating her own cheeks. "What do you mean? I will see you at lunch and then we can walk home together."

Zoicite frowned then reached out for her other hand. "I don't want to leave you," he said, much more slowly, "because I miss you when I can't see you."

"That's sweet Zo, but if you want to do something with your life you have to go to school."

"I know that," he muttered. "For some reason today feels different."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's hard to explain. It's just every time I think about going to my classes I start getting a bad feeling. I don't think I should leave you today."

"Well, unfortunately we don't have much choice. How about this, if something happens to either of us, use the communicator and send a message. I'll check it every fifteen minutes and you can do the same, okay?"

"Okay," Zoicite muttered. He didn't look happy however and Ami wished she knew what was bothering him.

* * *

Kaiou Tagashi stood beside Mizuno Saeko's car, looking anything but calm. "What the hell do you mean why was I looking for you?" he asked. "Because I love you. Because you are my wife. Because I missed you."

Shock, then rage, filtered through Saeko. "What?" she asked, staring at him wildly. "How can you say that?"

Something crossed Tagashi's face and for a moment Saeko thought he might burst into tears. "What is wrong with you?" he asked. "Why aren't you hugging me? You've never acted like this before Saeko."

"Tagashi?" she asked, frustrated and worried. Nothing he was saying made the slightest bit of sense. It felt like her word had tilted off it's axis and she was just falling and falling.

He stepped closer to her and the next thing Saeko knew she was in his arms. He was clinging to her, holding her tightly to his chest as though he would never let her go. Overwhelmed by the familiar feel of his arms, and his familiar musky scent, Saeko couldn't help the tears that poured down her cheeks. She'd thought she would never be held in his arms again. Shaking her head, she pushed against his chest. She couldn't let him hold her. It hurt too damn much. He had left her.

"Let me go," she ordered, trying to squirm out of his hands. He didn't release her at first. The moment a sob escaped he pushed her back until he could look into her eyes.

"Saeko?" he questioned. "You look different."

"Yes well, ten years will do that to a person," she hissed angrily. "Let me go."

He didn't release her. Hardly a second had passed before Saeko found herself sitting in Tagashi's lap. He was on the ground, his back leaning against her car, staring at her with wide, wild eyes. She watched his Adam's apple bob once, and then a few seconds later it moved again.

"Ten?" he asked, his voice small. "Did you say ten years?"

"Hai!" she yelled, struggling again. She couldn't let him break her heart again. He was pulling her in and she could feel herself falling for him all over again. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let him make her love him.

"How the hell has it been ten years?" he asked, sounding angry himself.

Saeko stopped fighting him and turned her head in surprise and anger. "Well, you walked away from us and never looked back."

"What are you talking about? Why would I walk away? I just went to get some damned art supplies. There was a bright light and then nothing. A lot of nothing. Just a sea of white light. And then I was home, but the apartment was empty. You were gone. Ami was gone. So I came here. Where is she? Where is Ami? Why did you move? And how has it been ten years?"

It felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water down Saeko's back. She stared at him in horror. Part of her wanted to believe him, and part of her was screaming that it was all a lie and that he was going to walk away again.

She did the only thing she could think to do in that moment. She lifted the pendant she wore and flipped it open. No one would have ever guessed there was a communicator hidden within. Pressing the symbol that looked like a black cat head, she waited for Luna to answer her.

"Saeko?" the cat asked. "Are you alright. Are you in danger?"

"No, I'm not in danger, but I am also not alright. Can you please tell me if it's possible to lose someone for ten years."

"I guess it depends on the circumstances," Luna said. "Nephrite mentioned there were dark generals in a sort of suspended animation called the Endless Slumber when he was first taken. It's possibly they've been in there for many years. And we know the Crystal can form a cocoon like it did with Usagi. She doesn't remember a single moment of being inside it, but time passed. So I suppose it's possible. What's going on? Do you want me to send Ami to you?"

"No. Could you send Ikuko though? And Kenji?"

"Hai. Where are you?"

"The hospital parking lot, in my normal spot. Tell them to hurry."

"On it. They'll be there in a few minutes. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I will be," Saeko said softly.

The entire time she had been speaking to Luna, Saeko had been watching her husband. She didn't really understand what was happening, and she wasn't sure she believed his story, but if there was even a chance he was telling the truth she owed him a huge apology. She'd changed her name and Ami's back to her maiden name and had moved away from the apartment they'd shared many years before. It had been a tiny thing in a bad neighborhood and she'd left shortly after finishing her residency.

"Who was that?" Tagashi asked. "What is that thing? It's like a phone, but with pictures."

"Um, it's my communicator. And that was Luna. Tagashi, I don't really understand what's happening right now. Tell me the last thing you remember."

He frowned. "We had a fight. I remember that. Ami was sick with the chicken pox and had to stay home from school. You wanted to go to work but I had a showing that night and something had dripped onto one of my paintings. I was an ass, said some awful things and walked out instead of trying to talk to you. I was just going to get the paint I needed to fix the painting. There was all that white light, and then I was standing right inside the apartment as though I had never left. It was empty and there was red stuff on the walls and I thought..." he trailed off, his voice breaking. "I thought something had happened to you and Ami. I thought you were dead." He sobbed then and pulled her against him again. "I can't lose you," he said into her hair, holding so tight she couldn't catch a deep breath.

Saeko wasn't sure what to think or how to act. Was this some sort of game? She remembered that morning well. He had said "I can't deal with this anymore," then slammed out of the apartment and never came back. She'd reported it to the police but they'd told her to face the facts, that he had left her. If what he was saying was true, he hadn't left her at all. It made no sense. Was this some sort of trick?

* * *

Kenji sped slightly, turning into the hospital parking lot. The doctors and nurses had their own parking area so he wasn't endangering anyone. But Luna had said she'd sounded panicked. Ikuko was clenching her hands together in her lap and scanning the entire lot for Saeko. They had become best friends and relied heavily on one another to get through the hardships involved with sending their children out to fight monsters.

"Do you think she's really okay?" Ikuko asked, her worry evident in her tone.

"I think she is. She's tough. If there was a real danger she would have called the kids. I think whatever's happening she's safe, just upset."

"Sometimes that's worse," Ikuko murmured.

"There," Kenji said, pointing. "I see her car. Where is she?"

"She's sitting beside it," Ikuko said, her voice sounding strange. "And she's sitting in a man's lap."

"What?" Kenji was shocked and a little worried. He moved forward and saw for himself that Saeko was in the arms of a man. It looked like he was holding her far too tightly. Her face was buried in his neck and she looked like she was crying.

Throwing the car into park he opened his door at the same time he unbuckled and was out of the car striding towards them in seconds. "Saeko?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

Saeko lifted her head. Her face was streaked with tears, but when he looked the man's face was covered in them too. He looked absolutely devastated and completely confused.

Ikuko knelt beside them. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"This is my husband," Saeko said softly.

Kenji blinked and stared at the man. He was tall, almost as tall as he was. He had thick aqua-colored hair and bright blue eyes that looked very similar to Ami's. He wasn't heavily muscled and he had a smear of paint on his neck. He thought back to a conversation with Saeko when she'd explained her husband had walked out on her and her daughter after a stupid argument that never should have escalated. She'd searched for him for six months before the police finally convinced her to stop trying, telling her he had left her and that she needed to move on. Ami had only been six at the time.

"Wait," Ikuko said. "Where did he come from? Where has he been? And why are you both crying?"

"I don't know where I was," the man said, his voice breaking on a sob. "Last thing I knew I was going to the craft store. And then I was back in my old apartment, but Saeko and Ami were gone."

"I think Usagi might be able to restore his memories," Saeko said, looking hopeful. Kenji wasn't sure she could get her hopes up just yet. Whatever had happened, Saeko and Ami were changed from what he remembered. Ami was sixteen for crying out loud. It had been just over ten years if he remembered correctly. How had he been missing for ten years with no one the wiser.

"Let me see your wallet," Kenji suggested.

Frowning, the other man leaned to the side and dug his wallet out of his back pocket, not letting go of Saeko. He handed the folded leather over without a qualm. Kenji opened it and started removing the contents, putting them on the trunk of Saeko's car. He looked at the photo ID, the credit and debit cards, even the receipt. Everything was expired. There wasn't a single thing inside newer than ten years ago. Looking at Ikuko, he nodded.

"Luna might be able to help, but if she can't then when the kids get home from school we can have Usagi take a look at him. For now he should really be checked out. Do you want to do that here or at the house?"

"Lets go home," Saeko said softly. "I can check him out in the clinic there. Too many people have probably already seen us and are wondering what is going on. We don't need a lot of people questioning us."

"Good point," Kenji said, moving to help the couple up off the ground. "Come on. We'll drive you both back to the house and send Haruki or Mamoru after the car later."

As he spoke he watched confusion cross the other man's face. Kaiou Tagashi. That was the name listed on the license and the cards in his wallet. He wondered when Saeko had changed her and Ami's last name. She had probably been very upset when she stopped looking. If she had believed those officers then she would have thought he had left her.

"What is going on?" Tagashi asked.

"It's okay," Saeko murmured. "I'll explain everything when we get home."

"Where is home?" he asked as soon as they were all in the car.

"We share a rather large building in the shopping district," Saeko explained. "There have been a lot of... changes... since you've been gone."

"Changes?" He frowned. "Ten years. What about Ami?" he asked. "I missed ten years of her life? Your life?"

"Hai. We looked for you but the police told me you had moved on, that you'd started a new life."

"I didn't," he defended and Kenji could hear the truth in his words.

The question remained. Where had he been? And why had he been returned now?

* * *

Tagashi was feeling extremely confused and overwhelmed. Nothing made sense. He had come to himself staring around what had once been a bright apartment. Instead of what he'd remembered, the walls had been dingy and grey with brownish-red smears on them and more drops on the floor in what looked like puddles even though they were long dried. His first thought had been that he was dreaming, but that made no sense. So he'd gone to the hospital to search for Saeko.

She was different. Her hair was short now, the blue a bit darker, and her eyes had a sad look. There were crinkles around them now, laugh lines. She was much more serious and sad than he remembered. Had it really been ten years? Maybe he was dreaming. Or maybe he was in some alternate universe where his other self really had left her. Because he never would. He loved Saeko more than anything or anyone on the planet.

Why had the police told her he had moved on? What was happening to him? If he left her sight would he disappear again? Go back into that bright white light? Fear made him want to scream and hold her tight, never let her go. He didn't know what to do, what to think.

The sun was barely over the horizon. It was still early morning and occasionally as the car drove through the streets of Tokyo bright sunlight would suddenly appear in the cracks between two buildings, blinding him slightly. He clutched at Saeko's hand, afraid to lose contact. Maybe she was the only thing that would keep him from vanishing again. And no one had been looking for him for a long time. Was he the only person who had gone missing?

They pulled into an alley and then into a large garage. It looked like it could hold twelve cars. What was this place?

"So there are a few things you should know before we go in the house," the brown-haired man said after parking the car. "The first thing is that the cats can talk. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. The second thing is that there is more to the kids who live here than meets the eye. They're all at school right now, so we can tell you a little more about it. Finally, we all live together, although Grandfather still lives at the Jinja and Rei and Jed stay with him on the weekends for their training."

"Kenji I think you're overwhelming him," the woman with lavender-blue hair said softly. "Lets just get him inside and find out what happened to him."

"Hai," Kenji said. "Sorry. I just know we were really blindsided when we found out. It's a bit much. Come on in. We'll introduce you to Luna and Artemis and see what they can do to figure out what happened."

"We should probably call Ami out of school a little early today," the woman added.

"Not unless you get Zo too," Saeko said. "This is really overwhelming and I think she'll need him."

"Him?" Tagashi asked, worried. Was his little girl dating? She should be eating ice-cream cones and coming to him with her scraped knees. What had happened to his little girl? What the hell had happened to him?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** When you work closely with another fanfiction writer there are some things that just develop naturally. Over the course of the last two plus years, I have had the pleasure of working with many, but none so well or often as **_Astraearose-silvermoon_**. Things have developed over those two years to the point where we often share characters and plot twists. We work together to create new characters, beta-read and edit each other's stories, and have created entirely new enemies for our favorite heroes to face. That said, she has been a fanfiction writer longer than I have, and some of her early plot twists were a little different than mine. One of those I am wrapping into this story, with a sneak twist of my own, which I hope she really likes. This chapter has not been seen by anyone but me at this point and is a surprise I really hope she enjoys.  
So here's to you Astraearose, one of my best friends on the planet even though we're oceans apart. Happy reading... and you better text me the second you're done so I can see what you think!  
Sailor Silver Ladybug  
Tori

PS. I really did think about making this into two chapters, but I just can't split it up. So here's an extra long one...

* * *

**A HOPE**  
**A WISH: Book Two**  
**Chapter Three  
Of The Past**

* * *

Zoicite had just reached for the handle on the door to the high school when Ami's communicator and his own both began to glow. Pulling back, he moved away from the door, quickly followed by the others. Ami flipped open her communicator and he pulled her up against him so he could look over her shoulder. Saeko's face shone up at them on the tiny screen, but even so small he could see tears on her face.

"Ami," Saeko said, "I need you and Zo to come back."

"Is everything alright?" Usagi asked, peering over at Saeko. "Why are you sad? Is everyone okay?"

"It's alright Usagi. In fact, this could be an incredibly good thing, but it's a bit of a shock. I really need Ami and Zo to come together."

"Is it alright if we come with them?" Usagi asked, her eyes full of worry as she glanced at him and Ami, who was shaking silently in his arms.

Saeko turned away from the screen. She didn't speak, but a moment later she nodded once and turned back to the screen. "Your parents say it's probably a good idea. You might be able to help actually, if Luna can't."

Usagi stood up straight and turned to the others. "Mamo-chan and I are going with them. Anyone else?"

"Let the rest go to class," Mamoru answered before anyone else could speak. If there is a problem we can handle it, and if we can't on our own then we can have your mother call them out."

Zoicite watched as Usagi stared at him for a moment. He was almost envious of their telepathic communication, but he knew one day he and Ami would share something similar. It might be a very long time. He wasn't ready to change their relationship again so soon. For now it was best to be friends.

"Alright everyone," Usagi said, "go on to class. I will check in every half hour."

Rei sighed audibly and Makoto suddenly relaxed. Zoicite hadn't realized how worried they were. Minako had an odd expression on her face however, and she reached out and grabbed Usagi close, whispering something in her ear. The two blondes talked quietly for a long moment, then Usagi turned back to Ami and wrapped an arm around her. Zo did the same. Mamoru took Usagi's hand and the four of them hurried back the way they had come.

All morning he had been feeling it was a bad idea to separate from Ami, and he figured he was about to get an answer as to why. He just hoped that whatever it was wouldn't be a bad thing. She didn't need any more pain.

He took one last glance at the school. Rei, Jadiete, Makoto, and Nephrite were all at the doors, about to enter. But Minako and Kunzite were already gone and when he looked up he saw Sailor Venus and North Knight, his new identity, standing on the roof. Apparently Usagi and Minako had thought it best to have someone to guard the others. He took a deep breath and turned away, walking a little faster. He wasn't the only one.

* * *

Rei had been feeling a strange, sad presence growing stronger for over a week. As she watched the others hurry away she sent her senses out. Fire was in her. She didn't need to be in front of the Great Fire to see. She only needed to access the fire in her veins. Whatever the presence was, it would be coming soon. She didn't feel a desire to harm, and that confused her because danger followed it.

With a sigh she turned and followed Jadeite into the building.

* * *

Saeko paced in front of him. Four steps. Turn. Four steps. Turn. Four steps. It was making him anxious. That she was nervous stirred something in him. Kaiou Tagashi had always been the temperamental sort, but always before Saeko's presence had been a calming one. Now her anxiety was frightening him. He didn't like it, wanted to fix everything and make it all better.

Unfortunately, the source of her anxiety was him.

Had it really been ten years for her? For Ami? Would his daughter even recognize him?

"You have a bit of paint," Saeko murmured suddenly, reaching up to touch his neck. "Just here." She let out a soft sigh. "It's from then. That day. When you squeezed the tube too hard. You were so angry that you painting was covered in it."

"I remember," Tagashi whispered.

In fact, to his own mind, other than the seemingly endless white void, it was his last memory before he had found himself standing in the empty apartment they had once shared. If it had really been ten years, where had he been really? What had been done to him? Could he be dangerous to Ami and Saeko? Was it even safe for him to be there?

The front door open, then slammed shut moments later. Tagashi could hear the sound of running footsteps before several teenagers barreled into the room. He knew his daughter instantly. Even if she didn't have his eyes and his wife's hair, he could see the little girl she had been in her face.

"Ami," he breathed. Flashes of her childhood swam in front of him for a moment.

"Daddy?" she asked. Then his chest hurt from the force of her slamming into him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she clung to him, sobbing. He looked to Saeko for a moment, making sure she was alright, and when she nodded, he buried his face in his daughter's hair and cried.

"My little Ami."

He wasn't sure how long they stood that way, just holding each other and crying. He felt Saeko's arms come around both of them and wrapped his larger one around her, pulling her closer. He needed them. His wife and baby girl. He needed them in his life, in his heart. He had been so afraid when he'd thought something had happened to them, so afraid that he had been too late. For what, he had no idea, but he could feel it even now. Danger lurked around them both. A danger he had to face with them.

"What happened to him?" he heard the young blonde girl ask. "He looks exactly the same as in the picture on Ami's dresser."

"He doesn't know," the black cat answered her.

Tagashi wanted to tell them everything he did know. He wanted answers as much, if not more than they did. He had lost ten years. Ten years with his wife and his daughter. Saeko was older than he was now, his daughter was a teenager. He had no job, no supplies to paint with. His fingers itched for a paintbrush.

It was Saeko who pulled back first. She wiped gentle hands over his cheeks and Ami's, then her own. "Come on you two. I think between Luna and Usagi we might be able to figure out what happened."

He nodded his head, but it was hard to let go of either of them. Finally, he took Saeko's hand in his left, Ami's in his right and moved to sit on the longest of the couches in the room. How he knew, he couldn't explain, but the boy with strawberry blonde hair immediately sat on Ami's other side and took her hand. She seemed to sag against him and he knew the boy comforted her the same way Saeko comforted him. He was her other half. Her soulmate.

"Where were you daddy?" Ami asked, her voice shaking.

"I still don't know," he told her, worried. "I only remember a bright white light, and then I was in the apartment and you and your mother weren't there. I thought..." he let his voice trail off. She didn't need to know he'd thought they were dead.

"Luna?" the tiny blonde girl asked.

"I think after what we saw with Mamoru-san it would be best if you tried this. Most of my memory tricks are linked with the Silver Crystal anyways. You can do this Usagi," the cat continued.

Tagashi could hardly follow the conversation. He'd met the cats when he'd walked through the door, had been stunned despite Kenji's warnings, but he didn't know the girl. She was young. Sixteen at the oldest. Could she really find out what had happened to him?

* * *

Ami sat in stunned silence, unable to take her eyes off her father. He had a little splotch of red paint on his neck and tiny droplets of it on his hands. He'd been painting the day he left. She could remember her mother and father arguing. She had cried. He'd bent and picked her up and promised they weren't mad at her. Then he'd told her he was going to get her some candy while he was gone. After that he had pulled on his long overcoat, getting red streaks on the front of it. He'd muttered that he was sick of it, swiping at the blotches of paint, then he'd left.

She had waited. Hours and hours had gone by and her daddy hadn't come home. Eventually her mother had told her he was gone. She hadn't understood for many years that he had left them. But judging by her own eyes, he hadn't. He looked exactly the same. The same paint on his face, hands, and jacket. The same day of stubble on his face. The same crinkles at the corners of his eyes. He hadn't aged a day.

"I don't think I understand," Ami said.

She was sure it was one of the few times she had ever said that in her entire life. Since she'd been small the Mercurian blood in her had been strong enough to enhance her mental abilities. She'd learned to read at two, was doing complex math equations at three. Schools had wanted her to skip grades each year but her mother had decided against it, wanting her to have a chance to make friends. She shook her head. None of this was answering her questions. She had about a million of them.

"None of us do," her mother said softly. "Maybe Usagi can help."

"She's just a kid," her father said, his brows furrowed. "This is too much pressure for a teenage girl. Let the cat try."

Usagi only laughed. "If I can give birth to four babies not even knowing I was pregnant then I can certainly handle this. Trust me."

Her father continued to frown, but he looked hopefully up at Usagi. "Do you really think you can help me?"

Usagi knelt in front of him. She put a hand on his shoulder and stared up at him for several minutes in complete silence. But Ami knew what was happening. Usagi was gaining his trust. She didn't need to speak for that. Her eyes did it for her.

"Okay."

Usagi nodded. "Good. Give me your hand."

Ami held her breath until her father reached out and put his hand in Usagi's. Then she watched as their eyes connected again. This time however, Usagi reached up her hand and pressed it to his forehead. The Crescent mark on her forehead began to glow and silver sparks erupted from her fingertips. There was a look of strain around her eyes.

Time passed. Much more time than Ami had expected. When Usagi had restored Mamoru's childhood it had taken a while for him to process all of it, but the actual restoration had only taken seconds. What was stopping Usagi? Would she be able to restore his memory?

* * *

Usagi knelt in front of Kaiou Tagashi, her mind wide open. Thoughts filtered through, processing themselves without much help from her. Memories, ideas, hopes, all flew through her own mind. These were her own. The memory of Ami explaining what had happened that day when her father had left her, concern about how he would handle having lost ten years, and fear that there was something very seriously wrong because the block over his memories was much stronger than what had been over Mamoru's. It was convoluted and messy and would take time to unravel.

As she began to uncover what happened she knew that for him, like it had been for Mamoru, it would be a mostly disjointed gaggle of memories he couldn't process yet. She however was getting them in a certain order. But something shocked her. There was a second block over his memories. This one much more similar to what had been over Mamoru's. She stopped where she was to pick at it. It came undone easily.

_Tagashi and Saeko were staring at each other, their faces fearful as they both hovered over the little girl in their arms. She had long aqua colored hair and blue eyes the same color as Ami's. Saeko was pregnant, obviously so, and the little one was mostly sitting on top of her rounded belly. The girl couldn't be older than a year and a half. Her little hands were chubby and she had kind eyes, but at the moment they were filled with tears. _

_"I don't know if I can do this," Saeko whispered. _

_"We have to," Tagashi answered. "You heard the Oracle. She has to go to them." _

_"But they're awful," Saeko told him. "That wife of his won't even notice she's alive. They'll just put her in some boarding school." _

_"It has to be my brother," Tagashi said. "We both know it won't be the happiest childhood, but you heard him. If she is with us she will die." _

_"She's our daughter," Saeko sniffled and rubbed her cheek against the little girl's. "Our little Michiru..." _

_"I know. It tears my heart out too. But he told us what would happen and I can't let her die. We can get her back Saeko. Remember. He told us she would come to us when the time was right." _

_"But we won't remember her!" Saeko wailed. The little girl started crying in earnest as well and Usagi could see tears running down Tagashi's cheeks. "I don't want to forget my baby." _

_"We will remember her one day," Tagashi said, then bent and kissed the baby's forehead. "We have to do this, for both of them." He reached out and touched the swell of her belly. "Remember our other daughter will need you." _

_"But I won't remember," Saeko sobbed. "I won't remember any of this." _

_"It is time," a woman said, moving forward. Usagi didn't recognize her. She had long silver-blonde hair and a silver horn sticking up from her forehead. "I will tell you something else," she added. "If she goes to your brother she will meet her soulmate and save her life. Together they will find you, when the time is right."_

_"Please?" Saeko whispered. She kissed the baby's head and clutched her tight. "Don't let her forget us?" she begged. _

_"I promise," the woman answered. "Now give her to me and I will change their memories. Not hers," she added when Saeko looked about to protest. "Remember, this way you can at least see her." _

_"Hai," Saeko answered. "Goodbye Michiru. Mommy and daddy love you very much." She kissed the baby one last time before handing her to Tagashi. _

_"Bye baby girl," Tagashi whispered, his tears falling into her hair. He kissed her one last time and handed her to the woman, who disappeared. _

_Both of them blinked. "What were we talking about?" Saeko asked. _

Usagi felt shock coursing through her system, but she knew she wasn't done. This wasn't the memory she was searching for. The tangled mass of whatever it was blocking Tagashi's memory was still before her. She couldn't tell how long it took to wrangle her way through it, but she unearthed the memory she was searching for and it slammed into her with the force of a freight train and she was pulled into it.

_"Of all the days," Tagashi muttered. _

_He never really understood why, but each year on this day he felt sad. More sad than he could ever express. For six years it had beaten at him. He was always moody on this day, even though he didn't understand it. Saeko was the same. She would be crabby and sad one minute, fine the next, and in an absolute rage the next. She also tended to get more overprotective of Ami. And it felt like something, or someone, was missing. It was like there was a hole in their hearts. One that couldn't be filled. _

_He'd known that morning what day it was, and so had his wife, and yet, unlike in past years, they couldn't get out of their responsibilities. She still had to go to work and his showing had been planned for that night, against his will. He couldn't change it, even though a part of him wanted to take Saeko and Ami and just disappear for the rest of the day. _

_It was what had sparked the stupid argument in the first place. He'd known better. Pulling out his flip phone, he ran through his contacts to call Saeko and apologize, only something stopped him. One minute he'd been on the sidewalk in front of the craft store, and then next, well, he wasn't sure where he was. Everything was far too bright and Tagashi put up a hand to shield his eyes. _

_"What the hell?" he muttered. "Where the hell am I?" _

_There was the sound of water falling in a great rush off to his left and he headed towards the sound, still shielding his eyes from the light. He had no clue what was happening, but he needed to get home. He had to see Ami and Saeko. Whatever this was could be dangerous. He had to protect them. _

_"You can't leave," a voice behind him said. _

_Tagashi spun, looking for the speaker, but the light made it impossible to see. "Who are you? Where are we? Why can't I go home?" he asked, rage filling him to the brim. Who was this to keep him from his family. _

_"Just breathe," the voice answered. It was neither male nor female, comforting or frightening, soft or harsh. It was just a voice, and it gave him no answers. _

_"I will breathe when you tell me what the hell is going on," Tagashi growled. "Let me go!" _

_"No." _

_"Why?" _

_"Because your part is yet to come. Should I let you go now you would die, and then many things that you must do will not be done." _

_"What things?" he shouted. "Let me go to my family!" _

_"If you go to them now, they will die." _

_"Why?" _

_"Because someone is messing with time, and with the very fabric of reality. Someone stronger than I can face alone."_

_"What must I do?" Tagashi asked, feeling hopeless. _

_"For now? You will sleep," the voice answered. "When you wake you will remember nothing, but your appearance will bring someone who must hear this message. Someone who can help you, and who will save your daughters. All three of them." _

_"Three?" Tagashi felt a tug on his heart. He suddenly saw the face of a beautiful toddler as he handed her to a woman who had a silver horn on her head. "But Ami..." he trailed off. "Michiru..." He looked toward the place he thought the person was speaking from. "I remember two. Why do I remember two? You said three? If I have two more daughters, where are they now?" _

_"One is safe with family members. You were given instructions to put her there for her safety, and for the safety of Ami. Had they been together a very bad person would have taken them and killed you and your wife. Separated their powers could not be detected." _

_"And the other?" he asked. _

_"Not yet born. She will not be born until after you wake again. The one who helps you remember must know this also. She must seek Elysion with her Soul-Bonded. You and Saeko must go with them to Elysion. There you will receive your answers." _

_"But," Tagashi frowned. "My wife, and little Ami..." _

_"Will be safe in your absence. I tried to find another way. I looked for every possible solution, but this is how it must happen. I am so sorry." Somehow Tagashi realized he was speaking to a young woman. For a second he thought he saw glimmering green hair, but it was gone before he could tell if it was real. The voice continued. "I owe you a debt I can never repay. One day you will save someone I love. That day is far in the future, but I promise you now, I will watch over Ami and Saeko until you return. I swear oath on it." _

_The words felt like magic. They had force and weight. This oath she had spoken was more than a word. It was a vow so deeply ingrained he could feel the truth of it. He felt some comfort knowing those he loved would be protected by this person who was so powerful she had snatched him right off the streets. _

_Suddenly exhausted, Tagashi sunk to his knees, yawning. _

_"Sleep," the woman whispered. "Sleep, and when you wake you will find them again." _

_Find them? He wondered at her choice of words. How long would he sleep? Days probably. He shook his head to clear it but the fog of exhaustion pulled him under. _

_Usagi watched for several moments after her mind and Tagashi's separated. She watched as the lights disappeared as though they had never existed. There was still light, but it was muted, faded to nearly nothing. A woman stood over Tagashi, tears streaking her face. As soon as Usagi saw her, the woman looked up, right into her eyes. _

_"Hello princess." _

_Memories from Usagi's past life struck her and she knew exactly who the woman was, and who she was meant for. The other woman was wearing a Sailor fuku, the skirt black, or so dark a red as to seem black perhaps. _"Pluto!" she excalimed.

"Usagi," the woman smiled. "I don't have much time, even now he is sliding into a long dream. There is much that will happen. I thought Haruki was dead," she said softly. "My younger self still does. It will be rather a surprise for him, and my younger self, when they finally meet."

"Can you tell me why you did this?" Usagi asked.

Pluto sighed. "There are forces out there, forces we don't always understand. If I hadn't interfered Ami would have died on her second birthday and Michiru would have been taken by the Negaverse and turned. She would have killed you and Mamoru both, as well as her own soulmate. I know interfering isn't exactly my job, but your future self granted permission when we realized someone had altered the timeline and told Beryl to search for the sisters. I can't explain everything now, and the next few times you see me I will be much changed from who you meet in this moment. Only know that through this I am trying to return the timeline back to the way it was."

"The third sister you mentioned," Usagi asked, knowing they had very little time. She could feel herself slipping back into her body.

"She will be concieved when the Bond is reforged. Take your parents as well. And Minako's. All must reforge the Bonds. All must continue their parts in the prophecy."

"Hai," Usagi said. She wished she could reach out and hug Pluto. "I will find you," she promised. "I will find all of you."

"I know." The older woman smiled. "You make it your life's mission to make sure I never feel alone again. Between you and Haruki, and my children..." she grinned to show that she was happy now. "Go back Usagi and make sure the future happens the way it should."

"I will," Usagi said.

It felt like waking up from a long dream. Usagi was staring into the eyes of Tagashi, who had seen everything with her, though for him it was a disjointed mess. He had tears streaming down his face and opened his mouth to speak. Usagi held up a hand and silently asked him to wait. Reaching up, she touched Saeko's forehead, giving her back the memory of Michiru.

* * *

Saeko had been sitting, rather impatiently, for nearly twenty minutes as Usagi and Tagashi had been locked in what looked for all the world like the longest and most boring staring contest ever. Then Usagi had taken a deep breath, held up her hand to Saeko's husband and then put her hand on her forehead. The memories that swarmed her, of her oldest daughter, brought her off the couch and onto her knees.

"How?" It was the only thing she could get out.

"Something big is at play here," Usagi said softly. "You know who she is though."

"How could we have forgotten? Tagashi asked, sounding miserable.

Saeko reached for him and he wrapped his arms around her, leaving Ami and Zo to stare at them with wide eyes. She held onto her husband tightly. "It's the day we gave her to Maboroshi," she whispered.

Her husband nodded his head. "I understand now," he said, his voice choked and broken.

There were still so many questions to ask. She turned to look at Usagi, who nodded. She knew the answers then. "Michiru," she whispered. For so long she'd known the girl only as her niece. Now, knowing Michiru was her daughter, made her want to weep in earnest.

With a great heaving sigh, Tagashi got himself under control. "Where is she now?"

"She moved to Tokyo a few months ago," Saeko told him. "She goes to school here now. Your brother's wife threw her out."

"Why?" Tagashi asked, looking as though he wanted to punch something.

"Because she likes girls," Ami whispered, apparently catching something, though she knew they hadn't come right out and said anything. "Aunt Mara is afraid of her because of it, I think. People don't like anyone who is different." Ami stood and came to kneel beside them. "Is she really my cousin?" she asked, her look penetrating.

"No," Saeko whispered. "She's your older sister."

Ami nodded as though everything made perfect sense. "That might be a bit of a shock," she murmured.

* * *

Hours had passed. Mamoru stood behind Usagi, his arms wrapped around her middle, his chin resting on top of her head, and watched as the others all surrounded Ami, congratulating her on her much larger family. Things had been explained, but there were far too many unanswered questions. Still, it seemed as though a good thing had happened. Saeko and Tagashi were sitting on one of the couches, wrapped up in each other. It was beautiful to watch them laughing and crying together. He'd seen relationships like that before. Usagi's parents. Himself and Usagi. The beginnings of the same in the Senshi and Shitennou. They were soulmates.

"This has been a good day," he said softly, for Usagi's ears alone.

"It has. Unfortunately I don't know how long this moment will last before the next big thing happens. How do we find Elysion? And where is Pluto now? How will Tagashi save him, or whoever it is? Why will they have another daughter, and what is so important about her? Why do we have to take my parents and Minako's parents to Elysion?"

"I don't know the answers," Mamoru admitted. "What I do know is that-" he was cut off by the soft sound of knocking.

Tugging Usagi with him, Mamoru went to the door, completely unnoticed by the others. She looked worried. She glanced at him anxiously and then reached out and opened the door.

Shock. That was the first emotion he truly understood. For a moment Mamoru was overwhelmed by memories of the past. He knew the teen standing in front of him looking terrified. As soon as the teenager saw Mamoru he seemed to slump, relaxing instantly.

"Fiore?" Mamoru asked, stepping over the threshold to grasp him by the shoulder. "Is that really you? When did you get back? I thought this planet was too hard for you. How are you here?"

Fiore slumped even further, stepping forward. Mamoru wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him inside. He didn't bother to stop at the genkan. Fiore wasn't from earth. Their customs would mean nothing to him. Usagi moved to Fiore's other side and also wrapped an arm around him.

"It's you," Fiore breathed the moment she touched him.

"Me?" Usagi asked, curious. They settled him in one of the smaller rooms, getting him onto a couch, and sat to either side of him.

"Mother has been searching for you. She told me you were our only hope."

"For me?" Usagi asked again, looking worried now.

"Both of you, I think," Fiore sighed. "Two people I love very much have been taken. My mate and co-mate. Ail and An. They were taken by, well I don't know exactly what he is, but he was strong enough to get past me and Mother."

"Where are they? Where have they been taken?"

"We followed them to Earth," Fiore said. "I told Mother about Mamoru and she said the 'bright one' would be with him. The moment you touched me I felt your light. Bright silver, like the moon. Healing energy. We need your help."

"And we will give it," Mamoru said.

"Hai," Usagi added. "We will help you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I am going to make the attempt to update all of my stories in June. Anyways, I am sorry about the long wait for an update. I've been a bit sick, and was dealing with writer's block. But, for the past two weeks I have updated one story every night, and I plan to continue.

Also, I am going to be releasing my secret project on June 9th, which is my birthday! I have only two chapters completely finished, but I have a timeline for the entire story. I'm very excited about it.

* * *

**A HOPE**  
**A WISH: Book Two**  
**Chapter Four**  
**Shadows**

* * *

Luna moved into the little sitting room, ears twitching, and stared at the new arrival for a long moment. She had heard the story of Mamoru's childhood friend, and had learned he was real, but to see him sitting there, talking to Mamoru and Usagi, she knew something major had happened. Usagi hadn't been very clear when she'd written the message.

"Luna," Usagi stood and hurried to pick her up. "Thanks. I didn't want to stop the celebration, but I figured you would want to speak to Fiore yourself."

"You were right."

"Fiore, this is Luna. She is Usagi's advisor and friend," Mamoru nodded to her. "Luna, this is my friend Fiore. He's very upset and worried about people he loves who were taken. Can you help us?"

"Of course," Luna agreed instantly. "Usagi said something about your Mother. Where is she?"

Fiore coughed. "She's in a pocket universe. She would definitely not fit here."

"Why?" Luna didn't believe in beating around the bush. Not with two innocents on the line."

"Because Mother is a tree. A very big, incredibly ancient tree. The Mother of our entire species." Fiore frowned. "And there are not many of us left. Just three, that I know of."

"And two have been taken," Usagi said urgently. "By someone powerful enough to get past both Fiore, and Mother."

"This sounds bad," Luna said. "Tell me everything you remember."

Fiore nodded. "Well, we were a few solar systems away, visiting a planet that has no sentient life. It was filled with trees and flowers, but nothing that could think remained. We were investigating some old ruins. Ail and An went up a hill to see how far they extended, when there was this shadow. One moment they were standing there, looking around, and the next they were gone as though they had never been. I screamed for Mother, and she came, but she was too late. They, and the shadow, were gone.

"We decided to follow them, and soon realized they were coming here. I told Mother all about Mamoru and she said the Bright One would be with him. I believe she meant his wife here, who shines with silver energy, like this planet's moon. We raced as fast as we could, and if my calculations are right, we beat them here by several hours."

"So how do we get them back?" Artemis asked, moving through the doorway. He had apparently heard everything. Luna felt silly. She hadn't even noticed he was there.

"I don't know," Fiore answered.

Luna waited for Artemis to reach Mamoru, who picked him up. "Well then Artemis, I think you may need to 'borrow' a few satellites. We need to know where they are, and where they will land. In the meantime, we should also send out patrols, just in case."

"I would like to go speak to Mother," Usagi said, looking incredibly worried. "She must be feeling terrible with two of her children missing. Can you even imagine it? I know how I felt when Jed disappeared to Elysion."

"I can't," Luna said softly. She wanted to shudder at the memory of Usagi lying in a hospital bed, but kept still and silent after that, waiting and watching as the others talked over when it would be best to leave.

* * *

"Does all this feel strange to you?" Jadeite asked, looking over at Nephrite. "I mean, the poor man lost ten years of his life, and now he's just supposed to pick up where he left off as though nothing happened."

Nephrite shook his head. "Not really Jed. I mean, Mom was only pregnant with us for three days, gave birth, nearly died, and then a Wish restored her heath. After that, this doesn't seem all that strange. Besides, you remember what the people in the Endless Slumber had to endure."

"I don't, actually," Jadeite murmured. "My memories are so disjointed I can only make sense of them with Rei to help me. What I do remember is the crystal coffins. Remember, time doesn't pass for the person inside those either." He shook his head. "I can't believe I forgot that part."

"I can," Zoicite said, joining them. "I don't want to remember. Ami and her mother are happy. That's all that matters right now. We can handle the rest later."

"We have another problem," Kunzite added, having come up behind Zoicite. "Minako's parents were part of that message. Minako hardly even speaks to them anymore. They've become consumed with money and power. They seem to have forgotten they have a daughter at all, and it's getting destructive. Sound familiar?"

"Shadar," Jadeite breathed. "I thought he was destroyed in the battle. If he's still alive and has control over them, only Usagi and Mamoru can heal them now."

"But they won't come back to Japan. They sent their sixteen-year-old daughter here to live alone." Kunzite said, sounding worried and angry.

"We could go to them," Zoicite said. "If Usagi and Mamoru can go with us, we can heal them and bring them back here."

"Or we could abduct them," Minako said, grinning as she and the other Inner Senshi approached. "If we have to go to Elysion anyway, where better to heal them. And we can hide Mother there from this shadow thing. I think it wants her more than the young ones. I just can't figure out why."

"I still can't believe Mamoru's imaginary friend is real," Makoto added.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Kunzite asked.

"Fiore just showed up. Luna and Artemis went in to talk to them. Hadn't you noticed Usagi and Mamoru disappeared?" Minako asked.

"I thought they were just upstairs doing husband and wife stuff," Zoicite admitted, blushing bright pink.

Jadeite snickered, but if he was honest with himself, that subject was a bit too much for him at the moment too. And he felt like Rei had some hesitation as well. It hadn't been that long since he'd been a newborn after all.

"I want to meet Fiore," Kunzite said, his voice low. "I've been wondering about him since Dad told us all those stories."

"Well, it will have to wait. Usagi wants to talk to this Mother of his. Apparently she is an ancient tree. From her all of her people were born. I don't know the whole story, but I think there was some catastrophe that wiped them all out." Minako shook her head sadly. "I can't even begin to imagine what she is going through."

"Mom can," Jadeite said softly. He still felt guilty about disappearing, even though he knew he hadn't done anything wrong.

"I think that's why she wanted to go see mother," Rei told them, patting Jadeite's shoulder. "She needs to help like most people need to breathe."

"That's our mom," Nephrite said in a low voice. "I told you she was an angel," he added, nudging Kunzite.

All four boys laughed. It had been one of their many arguments during their rapid development. Nephrite firmly believed Usagi had wings, and had claimed to see them once, though Jadeite and the others didn't. He heard the front door close and sighed. He'd missed his chance to take a peek at Fiore.

* * *

Usagi bowed low as soon as she came into the presence of Mother. The ancient tree stood nearly eighty feet tall, and was bigger around the trunk than she and Mamoru together could stretch. She had sweeping branches full of leaves and flowers, but to Usagi's eye she seemed to be drooping.

Without a word, Usagi stepped closer until she could kneel in the soft mulchy soil around the trunk. Reaching up, she placed her hand over the bark. "We will help you Mother," she said respectfully. Her heart ached for the mother and she Wished her children were safe and would be returned to her and Fiore soon.

::I know, my child,:: Mother spoke directly into Usagi's mind, as Mamoru could do through their Soul-Bond.

Thinking her answer back, Usagi responded. ::I know the pain of a missing child. None but a parent could understand what it truly feels like. I will share in yours.::

::No Bright One,:: Mother answered. ::I ask only that you find and return my young to me, and help me protect this planet from the Shadowman.::

Something inside Usagi stirred at that name, but she didn't know who it was, or why the name struck fear in her heart. Whatever the reason, she would have tp push past it to save Ail and An. The two teenagers didn't deserve to be separated from their family. She had to stay focused.

::We will do all we can,:: she promised.

::Fiore may be able to help you. He can sense them, but more than that, he is quite protective over those he loves. He loves his childhood friend. Your husband.::

::Hai," Usagi said. ::Mamoru loves him too.::

::I have seen the rose,:: Mother answered. It said everything to Usagi that she knew the significance of that little flower. ::Tell me, how does one so young know the feeling of a missing child.::

::It is a very long story,:: Usagi told her.

::I have time, until Shadowman arrives anyways. He will be here within a few hours and you must all be prepared.::

Usagi sat with her and told of her misworded Wish and all the wonderful, scary, and sad consequences of it. When she told of the boys attempt to make breakfast, she heard the laughter of the ancient tree for the first time. It was the most beautiful sound Usagi had ever heard. It was a cross between leaves blowing in the wind and the tinkling of bells.

"What do you know of this Shadowman?" Usagi asked aloud.

::He is old. Not nearly as old as I, but he has seen well over a thousand years. Once, very long ago, he came to the Silver Millennium. There was something he sought, though no one is sure what that thing was. It was denied him, and he has been searching for a new way to take it ever since. Among the stars there is legend of the one who is a bright shining beacon of hope. Upon her rebirth, it is said only a short time, less than the lifespan of a human, will pass before the thing he seeks will become available.::

"Do you know what it is?" Mamoru asked.

Usagi realized Mother had been broadcasting her thoughts to all of them this time. She patted the trunk of the tree and stood on wobbly legs. She wasn't sure how long she had knelt near the trunk, but her legs were half-asleep.

::None know, apart from him. I gather there is some prophecy involved, but I do not know what it speaks of.::

"How does he fight?" Mamoru asked.

"He doesn't. He kidnaps the friends or families of those he wishes to do his bidding and sends them out in his stead. It is said he can read the minds of others, become invisible, and turn the thoughts of people to anger. Strange things happen in his wake. Often people tell of a strong wind that comes from nothing and attepts to harm or kill them."

"Do you know if he has any weakness?" Usagi wondered.

"Greed. Power. Ambition. Those will be his downfall."

* * *

Shadowman, as he had been named by some peasant during the Silver Millennium, grinned maliciously as he approached the planet with his two hostages. He wished the stupid tree hadn't been so quick to follow him. He wanted her to suffer before he destroyed her. But he had another task. One that, if successful, would enable him to steal a very special Crystal.

The two young ones were huddled together, their chains making it impossible for them to move more than a few feet from the wall. He grinned, enjoying their pain, and turned his attention back to the viewscreen. One of his sensors showed where the tree and the other brat had landed their ship, but there was no longer any trace of it. He swore silently for several minutes. It would delay his plans.

"Please," the girl whimpered. "We need our Mother. We can't survive like this, without nourishment."

Shadowman laughed. "Then I guess you'll die. It won't matter for long anyway. Once I am done here I intend to destroy every trace of life on the planet. Your mother, and yourselves included.

Sobbing met his words and Shadowman kept laughing. He was enjoying their despair.

* * *

It was late when Mamoru walked through the door, carrying his sleeping wife in his arms. The conversation with Mother had taken longer than he'd anticipated and he and Usagi had been excluded from patrols because of it. He was grateful. He couldn't remember being so tired. They hadn't slept well during the move, and it had been a very long day.

"How did it go?" Luna asked, jumping down from a chair to follow him up the stairs. "I'm sorry we had to stay behind."

"It went well. We've gained some insight. Mother knew when the ship was close, but it disappeared shortly after she felt it. Was Artemis able to track it?"

"He was, until it got just over the Tokyo skyline anyway," Luna whispered as Mamoru put Usagi on the bed and pulled the covers over her. "What did you find out?"

"That the best way to get him is to make him want what he can never have," Mamoru answered. "I'll tell you everything in the morning, but I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"That's perfect," Luna answered. "Oh, and I think Minako has a plan to get her parents. We should add that to our list of things to do."

"Thanks Luna," Mamoru said, smiling down at the black cat. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Mamoru."

"Goodnight Luna."

* * *

_Usagi flew high, in the clouds, watching the road below. She wasn't sure when the car would pass, but she knew it would be soon. She had to save her soulmate. It was time. She wished with all her might she could save his parents too, but Pluto had warned her it would alter the timeline and possibly erase Mamoru from existence. She shuddered. She had to be very careful Mamoru could never know it was her that erased his memories. _

_A Youma appeared in the road, dancing and calling out it's name repeatedly. Usagi could see it was wearing orange tights, a pink leotard, and had bright purple hair. It would be very soon. Glancing in the opposite direction, she caught her breath when the car came into view. She could see the couple in front, laughing. Then Mamoru's father slammed on the brakes and the car spun into a wild turn. The Youma laughed again and disappeared. _

_Usagi launched herself at the car, just as it went over the cliff. The drop was nearly two-hundred-twenty feet. Her wings slapped against the air in her blind rush to save the little boy who would one day become her husband. She tore at the door, finally managing to open it, and pulled the unconscious boy from the back seat, meeting his mother's eyes for a moment. She could see the plea in them. Not for herself, or even her husband, but for her son. _

_"Save him," she seemed to say, though Usagi knew she would never be sure she had spoken the words or if she had heard the mental plea of a mother for her child. _

_Pulling Mamoru closer, she backed out of the car and watched as it continued to fall. Then she settled onto the ground, Mamoru in her lap, and hid her wings. She would wait with him, until help arrived. It was over two hours away and she couldn't bear the thought of him waking up and seeing his parents in such a state. There was nothing she could have done for them. _

_"You won't remember any of this, Mamo-chan," Usagi whispered. "Not this part. But I will make you a promise. You will never, ever be alone. I will always be with you." She kissed his forehead and let her tears fall on the innocent child who had lost his entire world in an instant. Now she knew for sure a Youma had caused the accident. She wanted to know why. _

_She let the Silver Crystal come forth and Wished that Mamoru would forget his childhood until it was time. Honestly, she wished she could do the opposite, but the timeline had to be preserved. _

Usagi bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath. "What the hell was that?" she wondered.


End file.
